BJP will think twice before imposing Article 356: Rawat

CM questions President's rule in Uttarakhand; states BJP framed him in sting operation

New Delhi: Reinstated as the Uttarakhand CM, Harish Rawat said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would think twice before imposing President's Rule under Article 356 in any state.

Harish Rawat

"What was the need to impose President's Rule in the state? The floor test in Uttarakhand has taught BJP a lesson. It will now think twice before imposing Article 356 in any state," Rawat said in an interview.

He said that the sting operation against him was a 'political conspiracy' and that he could be arrested any day.

"I am waiting for the day when CBI arrests me for the sting. A day before the floor test, CBI called me for questioning in Delhi. I was unwell and according to the provisions of CBI, it could have come here to question me since I am a senior citizen," he said, adding, "The sting operation was a political conspiracy by the BJP."

Days after the political crisis erupted in Uttarakhand, the rebel Congress legislators had released a video clip on the sting which allegedly showed that Rawat tried to bribe them to return to his camp.

"I know that I will get good results if I call for polls now. But in the last two months, due to the political crisis, the state has suffered a lot in terms of development. Hence, my priority is to speed up the development work in the state," he said.